"Mourinho we love you, Mourinho stay"

Few doubts remain. The league is over in December. Maybe this is what the Mayans were talking about. Maybe it was seeing centre-back Godín back-heel the ball inside his own area, in the presence of the world's best (Messi), who is also the smartest player on the pitch.

There were some things never seen before: Atlético playing an outstanding half an hour of football, despite it counting for nothing in the end. 100,000 people chanting mockingly in unison: "Mourinho we love you, Mourinho stay". Real Madrid currently lies third in La Liga, thirteen points behind Barça, whilst Atlético is second, nine points adrift of top spot.

El Tigre arrived at the Camp Nou intent on scoring. You could throw him a melon and watch him fire it between the posts. He headed his first goalscoring chance onto the post, fired the second one wide before finding the back of the net with his third. 1-0 and Atlético were worthy of the lead having started the better team and intent on taking the game to Barça.

Then Adriano came out of nowhere and scored an outstanding goal to level the game. It could be said that's where Atlético's challenge ended. The visitors' defence started its own repertoire of mistakes for Barça's second, scored by Busquets.

Barça went in ahead at the break with Messi almost reduced to the role of a mere spectator. He came out firing on all cylinders at the start of the second half to score Barça's third (3-1) before completing his brace following the mistake by Godín to finish the game at 4-1.